From my blackberry in New Mexico.
This is taken on my first morning from the veranda at the inn, after a huge storm. Tents filled with fabulous dealers and merch right downstairs, pasture beyond.
Above is a field with hundreds of tents in the background, below a close up of the tents.
the light here was amazing, this is behind some tents.
Late evening shopping led us past this cute trailer.
PROM! Alice pulled this together piece by piece that night, I think it's the cutest prom outfit I've ever seen!
My original outfit failed, so I went for a sort of 70's Dotty West look (minus the big hair)
These fabulous ladies are seasoned experts at dressing and posing.
The guys dress up every year. I don't know the biker chicks but the flying elvises are actually very handsome in real life...
Prom was so much fun!
Super face molds from the defunct doll factory.
I did not buy the elephant foot bar and box.
I saw these old name tags with the cutest old fashioned names!
We took a wine break and watched the rain from the veranda. Above is how hard it was raining (literally coming down in sheets) and below is the flooded ground. I've never ever seen so much rain and lightning, it was so exciting! Many of the dealers had rivers running through their tents half the time but took it all in stride. The great part is that it was still at least 80 degrees so it was like being a kid puddle jumping :)
Alice brought many shoes and boots but none that could stand up to walking all day plus the rain in Texas. I lost her for a while and would ask people if they had seen a barefoot girl in a cowboy hat, "oh yeah, I saw her go that way"
After stopping for a minute at the Billy the Kid museum we took a wrong turn (one of MANY) and ended up here. Thankful that Alice wanted to stop and take pictures of the beautiful Pecos river in New Mexico. What a landscape!
From the other side of the bridge.
Once again I shall post my facebook updates.
Colleen:
*is finally in Texas! Some fun facts: gas is $2.25, 95 degrees but its a WET heat, I'm driving a purple hyundai (can you picture it?) and I have no idea how I used to text and drive - its impossible!
*Omg soooo much fun and its only monday! (from Zapp Hall)
*loves me some texas! (after Zapp Hall)
*walked fields for 6 hours. Came back to the room to get more checks. Sat down. Bad idea. Nap time...
*can't nap, hoping to get some energy going for spaghetti-a-disco tonight at Zapp Hall.
*did you know that its against the law to buy yourself a beer in Texas? It's a true story.
*slept in, wandered around buying dead animal parts, off to Austin, airport, Alice, enjoying pizza hut bread sticks and singing along to BR-549's "cherokee boogie" on Texas radio. did I mention I love it here?
*is soaking wet (100 degrees and 100% humidity)
*ridiculously humid day shopping, good time at prom, mostly chatting and listening to awesomely funny stories in great Dallas accents, took wonderful pictures. And I found a $20 on the way back to the room!
*overheard and slightly seen behind the bar tonight - a young boy pinned up against a truck by a 50ish woman "you must be about 24 years old" "no ma'am, I'm turning 23 next week". And then she went in for the kill! It was awesome. Next time I'm wearing a secret camcorder.
*thankful the fever that was upon Texas has broken.
*check engine light and squeeky brakes on the truck we just picked up. Penske just delivered us a new one 75 miles away. Nice job, Alice! Dinner outside at the Hillcrest and go get ready for local dive bar. Wait, do we need to get ready to go to the local dive bar?
*finally got a great deal on the table I've been eyeing on the way home from the bar.
*Well, it's flooding down in Texas.
*Walked all day in 4" of water and mud in a downpour with a saturated umbrella.
*if I had a boat, I'd row out and do more shopping
*is so happy I picked up most of my goodies before the rainiest downpour thunder and lightning I've ever seen. Tents are flooded and Alice is shopping barefoot.
*is picking up the rest of the goodies in the pouring rain and hoping my truck doesn't get stuck in the mud. Thankful to Randy the Land Baron for directing us to a dryer lot.
*is Lubbock bound.
*Driving through New Mexico looking for tumbleweeds:) Treasures in the back of the truck range from a beautiful hornets nest to a two sided humongous bookcase...
*standing at a gas pump in winslow arizona. I am a machine!
*just had my beautiful tumbleweeds confiscated at the border :(
*walking the streets of bakersfield...
*Home sweet home. 13 hours today, 30 total driving hours. Battered, burned and bruised but excited to open up that truck tomorrow and see what's inside!
Thanks for reading, and thank you to the state of Texas, all of the wonderful and gracious dealers, vendors and fun buyers! I had a blast!
5 comments:
What a view from your veranda! And why, oh why, didn't you smuggle some tumbleweed? I want some! ~Mindy
We found them on the way to Santa Fe, which was a lot easier than stopping on the I-40. I'm sure you can find some where you are :)
Colleen,
This was a great post. I was there, but reading it through your eyes makes me appreciate the shoppers that much more! I promise not to whine about the weather...but treat it like an adventure! Thanks and it was great seeing you again. Look forward to seeing you in the spring, right?
Debbie
That's so sweet, Debbie. I didn't hear you or any of the dealers whine about the rain so if you were you hid it well! It is an adventure and I always have so much fun there. Don't think I can make it back in the Spring unless the economy jumps back quickly but def next fall!
Now that's heaven. I want to go!
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